1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to surveillance equipment, and, in particular, to programmable pan-and-tilt camera surveillance apparatus.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
It is often desired to monitor a variety of locations or scenes using surveillance equipment. Well-known solutions for this problem include pan-and-tilt camera apparatus controlled from a remotely-located operator's console having a video monitor for viewing the scenes observed by the camera. The pan-and-tilt apparatus rotates ("pans") the camera about a typically vertical axis and also changes the azimuth of ("tilts") the camera to position the camera from scene to scene, and it is well-known to have programmable pan-and-tilt camera apparatus in which a sequence of pre-set viewing positions are sequentially viewed, with each pre-set viewing position having remembered pan, tilt, and magnification parameters set by the operator's panel.
It is important in the use of such surveillance equipment to be able to maximize the information conveyed by the equipment and observed by an operator. The operator needs to view the camera's output while the pan-and-tilt apparatus is moving the camera from one position to another, and the operator also needs to closely view the pre-set selected viewing positions at which activities, such as theft or undesired access, could occur that require surveillance.
Heretofore, pan-and-tilt surveillance apparatus would view a first pre-set scene location for a pre-set delay time, then move to a second pre-set scene location, change the zoom magnification and focus, and then view the second pre-set scene location for a second pre-set delay time. The zoom magnification of the camera from viewing the first scene is rarely, if ever, optimal for meaningful viewing of the larger scene as the camera is moved from the first pre-set scene location to the second pre-set scene location, and, upon reaching the second pre-set scene location, the operator must wait a significant time while the camera magnification is changed to the desired zoom magnification for the second pre-set scene location. This pattern repeats as the pan-and-tilt apparatus moves to third, fourth, etc., pre-set scene locations, and a significant portion of the possible surveillance time is wasted.
It is therefore desirable to have an improved pan-and-tilt camera apparatus that allows pre-set scenes to be viewed at desired focus and zoom magnification settings without delays for changing between one focus and zoom magnification setting to another, and also that allows the larger scene to be viewed at a wide-field focus and zoom magnification setting as the pan-and-tilt camera apparatus moves from one scene to another.
It is further desirable to have such an improved pan-and-tilt camera apparatus that pauses at each scene location when motion is detected.
A preliminary patentability search in Class 348, subclasses 212, 213, and 214, produced the following patents, some of which may be relevant to the present invention: Sergeant et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,236, issued May 14, 1996; Washino, U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,140, issued Sept. 12, 1995; Natori, U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,761, issued Dec. 25, 1990; Vye, U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,647, issued Apr. 8, 1986; Kadosawa, U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,036, issued Jan. 21, 1986; Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,625, issued Mar. 23, 1982; Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,876, issued Oct. 6, 1981; and Marrone, U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,094, issued Oct. 28, 1975.
Sergeant et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,236, describes a single-camera video surveillance system having a programmable pan-and-tilt mechanism and having preset focus and zoom settings. Washino, U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,140, describes a plurality of single-camera pan-and-tilt mechanisms controlled from a single operator's interface. Natori, U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,761, describes a single-camera pan-and-tilt mechanism in combination with a fixed and non-moving camera, with video signals being switchable from the two cameras. Vye, U.S. Pat. No. 4,581,647, describes a plurality of single-camera pan-and-tilt mechanisms controlled from a single operator's interface, in which the focus and zoom of each single-camera mechanism can be varied. Kadosawa, U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,036, describes a plurality of single-camera pan-and-tilt mechanisms controlled from a single remote control operator's interface. Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,625, describes a plurality of single-camera pan-and-tilt mechanisms controlled from a single remote control operator's interface. Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,876, discloses a dual-channel camera unit mounted on a single pan-and-tilt mechanism, one camera being a low-light camera and the other camera being a day-light camera, with both cameras having zoom and focus means. However, unlike the present invention, the Williams patent does not teach to have the unviewed camera's zoom and/or focus setting being changed while the output of the other camera is being viewed during motion of the pan-and-tilt mechanism, and only teaches switching between the two cameras under varying light level situations.
Additionally, the inventors are aware of Sasaki, U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,088, issued Nov. 27, 1990, which describes a single-camera programmable pan-and-tilt apparatus having programmable control means for controlling a single camera mounted upon a pan-and-tilt mechanism and also having a remote operator's panel in communication with the programmable control means.
Still further, the inventors are aware of various microphones, such as those sold under the trademark and tradename PANASONIC electret condenser microphone cartridge, that could be used with the present invention, as well as operational amplifiers, such as those sold under the trademark and tradename NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR LM324A low power quad operational amplifier, that would be suitable for constructing the circuitry of one embodiment of the present invention.
None of these references, either singly or in combination, disclose or suggest the present invention.